Reduced weight live poultry hauling system

ABSTRACT

A reduced-weight poultry cage is used in conjunction with a reduced-weight trailer to transport live poultry for maximizing the poundage of poultry being transported while reducing the number of trips and fuel expenses. The poultry cage includes a combination of aluminum and plastic elements that reduce cage weight, provide for nesting of cages in stacks as well as easy replacement of failed parts. Furthermore, a drop-deck aluminum trailer with a reduced floor and guide rail alignment stops allows for a durable yet lightweight trailer that can haul a plurality of stacks of these poultry cages, thereby maximizing cubic feet availability while being compliant with various road and bridge laws.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This divisional application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §121 ofapplication Ser. No. 14/207,804 filed on Mar. 13, 2014 which in turnclaims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of both Application Ser. No.61/788,916 filed on Mar. 15, 2013 entitled Reduced Weight Live PoultryHauling System and Application Ser. No. 61/861,534 filed on Aug. 2, 2013entitled Integrated System for Transporting Live Poultry, and all ofwhose entire disclosures are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to relates generally to techniques fortransporting live poultry.

The U.S. Poultry industry grows their chickens in large houses or barnsuntil the chickens reach market age and then transport the live birds toa slaughter plant by the means of cages on a flatbed trailer. Typicalpoultry cages are designed to be handled with fork lifts and dumpedmechanically at the slaughter plant. The current system oftransportation evolved over approximately 25 years ago and has changedvery little over time. One of the problems with the current system isthe tractor, trailer, cages and binding mechanism weigh approximately48,000 pounds empty allowing a payload of only 31,000 pounds of livechickens.

Currently, the industry standard for transporting live poultry is asteel cage with two forklift sleeves separated with angle stretchers toform a rectangular base for the cage. The steel cage is constructed ofsquare tubular posts, which are welded to each side of a base to segmentthe frame into compartment stacks. Horizontal square tubing is thenpositioned between the vertical post both longitudinal and transverse toprovide support beams for the compartment floors. Additionally, a singlesheet of fiberglass or un-reinforced plastic is positioned on thehorizontal beams, which provide flooring for the compartments on eachlevel. The cage roof is constructed from a single panel of galvanizedsheet metal welded to the square tubing frame located around theperimeter of the top of the compartments.

Birds are retained in the individual compartments by wall panelsconstructed from small vertical wires secured by larger horizontal wireswelded at crossing tangents at the top, bottom, and midpoint of thepanels to form a grid. The frame panels are welded to the inside of thestructural tubular frame. Frequent damage occurs when the forklift tinesimpact the wire grid panel and broken wires can be pushed inward causinginjury to the birds until the panels are repaired. Typically, the panelsare not repaired or replaced unless the birds are able to leave the cagethrough the damaged opening. Moreover, repairing such cages isdifficult.

The door panels are extruded aluminum with round solid tubular likeprofiles incorporated in the top and bottom of the profile and extendinglongitudinally from one extremity to the other. The position of the dooris controlled by a spring loaded mechanism, which consist of a bracketrigidly mounted to the door's far side extremity, to which isrotationally mounted a rod. The rotationally mounted rod protrudesthrough a slot in a bracket rigidly mounted to the inside face of one ofthe cage's adjacent tubular post. A spring is circumferentiallypositioned around the control rod and placed between the door bracketand the cage mounted bracket. The spring is mounted so the spring isloaded at the midpoint of the door's rotation and is relaxed as thepivot goes over center to close or open the door.

When accidentally struck by forklift tines, the aluminum door stayspermanently bent. The bend in the door causes the mounting pin to jam inthe receiving post and the control rod in its mounting. This causes thedoor to be fixed in the partially open position. The partially opendoors are frequently torn loose during the close side-by-side loading onthe transport trailer or unloading system. It is common practice toremove the door if repair is extensive and leave the compartment withouta door and therefore an un-productive compartment.

Currently, metal cages weigh in excess of 900 pounds per cage. A truckcarrying a normal load of 22 empty cages would include approximatelynine tons of metal cages. The weight of the metal cages addssignificantly to the transportation fuel cost for shipping poultry.Additionally transportation costs associated with shipping the emptymetal cages are incurred with each poultry shipment because the poultryis typically only transported one way.

One solution to this problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,020,517(Seay), which is owned by the same Assignee, namely, W. A. Crider, Jr.,as the present application. In that invention, a plurality ofstand-alone poultry cages are formed of plastic and then stacked insidea welded-together aluminum frame. Unfortunately, that invention suffersfrom several problems, including poor structural stability as well ascracking of the frame.

Thus, there remains a need for a poultry cage-trailer combination thattogether greatly reduces the weight of those components in order tomaximize payload, i.e., live bird pounds, that combines good structuralstability with durability and while complying with road and bridge laws.

All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference intheir entireties.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A reduced weight poultry cage is disclosed. The cage comprises: analuminum frame formed by a plurality of vertical members coupled to abase and each vertical member comprising a stack of floor supports; aplurality of aluminum flooring layers, each of the aluminum flooringlayers being supported on a corresponding set of floor supports at acommon elevation; a plurality of polymer panels that are coupled betweenadjacent or opposite floor supports at a common elevation on acorresponding floor layer to form a plurality of poultry compartments;and a respective compartment door positioned at one side of each poultrycompartment on a common side of the cage.

A method of forming a reduced weight poultry cage is disclosed. Themethod comprises: (a) forming an aluminum frame using a plurality ofvertical members coupled to a base; (b) securing a floor support to eachone of said vertical members; (c) positioning an aluminum flooring layeron top of said floor supports; (d) positioning a plurality of polymerpanels between adjacent floor supports and across oppositely-facingfloor supports to form a plurality of poultry compartments on saidaluminum flooring layer; (e) repeating steps (b)-(d) at least once toform at least a second plurality of poultry compartments; and (f)releasably securing a respective door to each one of said plurality ofpoultry compartments on a common side of said frame.

A trailer for conveying live poultry in cages and optimized to maximizepayload while minimizing trailer weight is disclosed. The trailercomprises: a plurality of aluminum main beams arranged longitudinallyalong the length of the trailer; a pair of aluminum guide rails that runthe length of the trailer, forming a respective side of the trailer, andcoupled together via a plurality of aluminum cross members arrangedtransversely for connecting the guide rails together to form a framestructure that is secured to the plurality of main beams, and whereinthe guide rails support at least one cage thereon and are adapted toengage a portion of the cage therein; a suspension assembly located at arear portion of the trailer for supporting the frame structure and theplurality of aluminum main beams upon a plurality of wheel axleassemblies; and a floor secured only to a middle region of the framestructure along the length of the trailer.

A method for conveying live poultry in cages via trailer which isoptimized to maximize payload while minimizing trailer weight isdisclosed. The method comprises: providing a plurality of aluminum mainbeams arranged longitudinally along the length of the trailer; providinga pair of aluminum guide rails that run the length of the trailer toform a respective side of the trailer; coupling the aluminum guide railstogether using a plurality of aluminum cross members arrangedtransversely for connecting the guide rails together to form a framestructure that is secured to the plurality of main beams; positioning aplurality of cage guide stops along the length of each of the guiderails for engaging portions of the cages; providing a suspensionassembly located at a rear portion of the trailer for supporting theframe structure and the plurality of aluminum main beams upon aplurality of wheel axle assemblies; omitting a floor on the trailerexcept for a middle region of the frame structure along the length ofthe trailer; and positioning at least one cage on the guide rails sothat portions of the at least one cage engage respective ones of thecage guide stops.

An integrated system for conveying live poultry in cages on a trailerand optimized to maximize payload while minimizing cage and trailerweight is disclosed. The system comprises: a reduced weight poultry cagecomprising: an aluminum frame formed by a plurality of vertical memberscoupled to a base and each vertical member comprising a stack of floorsupports; a plurality of aluminum flooring layers, wherein each of thealuminum flooring layers is supported on a corresponding set of floorsupports at a common elevation; a plurality of polymer panels that arecoupled between adjacent or opposite floor supports at a commonelevation on a corresponding floor layer to form a plurality of poultrycompartments; and a respective compartment door positioned at one sideof each poultry compartment on a common side of the cage; and a reducedweight trailer for hauling at least one of the reduced weight poultrycages, wherein the trailer comprises: a plurality of aluminum main beamsarranged longitudinally along the length of the trailer; a framestructure formed from a pair of aluminum guide rails coupled togethervia a plurality of aluminum cross members, wherein the frame structureis coupled to the main beams; and a suspension assembly located at arear portion of the trailer for supporting the frame structure and theplurality of aluminum main beams upon a plurality of wheel axleassemblies.

A method of conveying live poultry in cages on a trailer and optimizedto maximize payload while minimizing cage and trailer weight isdisclosed. The method comprises: (a) forming an aluminum frame using aplurality of vertical members coupled to a base; (b) securing a floorsupport to each one of the vertical members; (c) positioning an aluminumflooring layer on top of the floor supports; (d) positioning a pluralityof polymer panels between adjacent floor supports and acrossoppositely-facing floor supports to form a plurality of poultrycompartments on the aluminum flooring layer; (e) repeating steps (b)-(d)at least once to form at least a second plurality of poultrycompartments; and (f) releasably securing a respective door to each oneof the plurality of poultry compartments on a common side of the frame;(g) loading poultry into each one the poultry compartments; (h) forminga reduced weight trailer for carrying at least one reduced weightpoultry cage by coupling a frame structure, comprising a pair ofaluminum guide rails coupled together by a plurality of aluminum crossmembers, to a plurality of aluminum main beams arranged longitudinallyalong the length of the trailer; and (i) coupling a suspension assemblyto the main beams located at a rear portion of the trailer forsupporting the frame structure and the main beams upon a plurality ofwheel axle assemblies; and (j) loading the at least one reduced weightpoultry cage containing the poultry onto the trailer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood withreference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings arenot necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearlyillustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in thedrawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front side of a poultry cage of thepresent invention showing a plurality of aluminum floors and with noneof the doors or side wall panels installed;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear side diagram of the poultrycage of FIG. 1 with none of the back walls installed;

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the poultry cage of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the poultry cage of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 depicts the different floor support members;

FIG. 6A are front and back views of a front corner strut showing thecorresponding floor support members secured thereto and with the variousflooring layers shown partially in phantom;

FIG. 6B are front and back views of a vertical strut, for use along thesides or back side of the poultry cage, showing corresponding floorsupport members secured thereto and with the various flooring layersshown partially in phantom;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a side wall panel for a compartment of thepoultry cage;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a back panel for a compartment of the poultrycage;

FIG. 9A is a plan view of the inner side of a compartment door showingone example of a door closure mechanism, for example, strikeplates inthe upper two corners that are magnetically-coupled by magnets;

FIG. 9B is a partial isometric view of the front side of the poultrycage showing how three compartment doors are installed for theirrespective compartments;

FIG. 10 is a view of one of the back corners of the poultry cage of thepresent invention showing the side wall panels and the back wall panelsinstalled for all of the compartments;

FIG. 11 depicts a partially-assembled poultry cage 20A of the presentinvention, showing the floor supports secured in their respectivevertical struts or corner struts for receiving a floor layer;

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a less preferred winch system used toarrest movement of the poultry cages in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a less preferred winch system of acage stack when positioned on the transport trailer in accordance withan exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a side view of a lightweight trailer in accordance with thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 15A is an isometric view of the lightweight trailer in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 15B is a plan view of the lightweight trailer in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 15C is a side view of the lightweight trailer in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 15D is a partial underside isometric view of the lightweighttrailer showing a one stack cages thereon with no side wall panels, backwall panels or doors shown;

FIG. 16 is a photograph of an embodiment of an improved poultry cageassembly and trailer setup with 24 poultry cages loaded on the trailer;

FIG. 16A is an isometric view of the lightweight trailer showing asingle stack of cages (e.g., two) secured on the lower deck of thetrailer;

FIG. 16B is a plan view of the trailer and single stack of cages of FIG.16A;

FIG. 16C is a side view of the trailer and single stack of cages of FIG.16A shown with no side wall panels installed;

FIG. 16D is an enlarged view of the single stack positioned on thetrailer of FIG. 16A shown with no side wall panels installed;

FIG. 16E is an enlarged view showing a cage alignment stop mounted on aguide rail of the trailer;

FIG. 16F is similar to the view of FIG. 16E but showing a cage (alsoshown with no side wall panels installed) on the trailer with the cagealignment stop engaged with the corresponding cage member;

FIG. 16G is an enlarged view showing how cages (also shown with no sidewall panels installed), when stacked, also utilize their correspondingcage alignment stop members relative to one another;

FIG. 16H is a partial isometric view of the safety frame located at thetail end of the trailer and using supplemental visual indicators foradded safety; and

FIG. 17 depicts the components of a preferred ratchet mechanism for useon the present invention cage/trailer system to releasably secure thecage stacks to the trailer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the figures, wherein like reference numerals representlike parts throughout the several views, exemplary embodiments of thepresent disclosure will be described in detail. Throughout thisdescription, various components may be identified having specificvalues, these values are provided as exemplary embodiments and shouldnot be limiting of various concepts of the present invention as manycomparable sizes and/or values may be implemented.

The present invention overcomes the problems of the prior art byestablishing both a reduced weight poultry cage 20A along with acorresponding reduced weight trailer 20B for transporting a plurality ofthese reduced weight poultry cages 20A thereon.

Reduced Weight Poultry Cage 20A

The poultry cage 20A of the present invention comprises an outer metal(e.g., aluminum) frame that is formed and stabilized by a plurality offloor layers 12. Compartments (PC) for the poultry are formed on eachfloor layer 12 by installing side panels 24 (FIG. 7) and back panels 26(FIG. 8) before the next floor layer 12 is installed. FIG. 11 depicts aback corner of the poultry cage 20A showing the side panels 24 and theback panels 26 installed. By way of example only, the poultry cage 20Aconsists of three stacks (FIG. 4) ST1-ST3 of five levels; thus, once theside panels 24 and back panels 26 for each floor layer 22 are installed,the poultry cage 20A comprises fifteen compartments for holding poultry.It should be understood that in order to form this number ofcompartments, side panels 24A (also referred to as “internal wallpanels”; see FIG. 10) are also installed between vertical struts 32(between the front and rear sides of the cage 20A) on each floor layer22, and aligned with the lines 21A and 21B in FIGS. 1-2. A respectivedoor 28 (FIG. 9A) for each compartment is located along the front sideof the cage 20A. As also shown in FIG. 4, forklift tine sleeves 29 areprovided for at the base 31 of the poultry cage 20A to permit thepoultry cage 20A to be lifted, tilted and/or set down.

Each floor panel or layer 22 is formed from a sheet of aluminum that ispressed to form the appropriate shape. It should be understood that thelayer 22 is continuous from one cage side to the other cage side andfrom the front of the cage to the back of the cage. As shown in FIGS.1-2, each floor panel or layers 22 features ridges or longitudinal ribs30 that provide enhanced structural integrity to each floor panel 22;however, the ridges 30 are not raised enough for a chicken to grab holdwhen the cage 20A is tilted on its side for dumping at a processingplant. Accordingly, by way of example only, the poultry cage 20Acomprises five support levels of solid one piece aluminum floors 22 thatprevent a bird from using its toes to stay in the cage 20A during adumping process. Also, in an exemplary embodiment, each floor 22 has anopen slot (not shown) allowing poultry manure to escape during loadingand unloading of the cages 20A.

As mentioned previously, the poultry cage 20A comprises an outer metal(e.g., aluminum) frame. This frame is composed of a plurality ofvertical struts 32 and corner struts 34 (FIGS. 1-2) that, among otherthings, act as guideways for a plurality of floor supports (S1, S2, S3or S4 as shown in FIG. 5) that support each floor layer 22. Each floorsupport (e.g., aluminum) not only acts as a floor support for a floorlayer 22 (as well as spacers between floor layers 22) but the support isalso used for connecting the side panels 24, internal wall panels 24Aand back panels 26 for each compartment. As also shown in FIG. 5, thereare different types of floor supports: S1, S2, S3 and S4. Floor supportsS1, S3 and S4 comprise magnet support arms A to which magnets M aresecured. Depending on where the floor supports are used, i.e., on thefront, sides or back of the poultry cage 20A and whether the floorsupports are used in the corners determines which type of floor supportis used. For example, floor supports being used at the front of the cage20A, utilize floor supports S1, while floor supports being used at theleft and right front corners use floor supports S3 and S4, respectively,because those floor supports include magnets M for maintaining the doors28 in a closed condition, as will be discussed later; floor supportsused along the sides (FIG. 4) and the back (FIG. 2) of the cage 20A,utilize floor supports S2 since there are no doors 28 for thecompartments along the sides and back of the cage 20A. The floorsupports S1, S2, S3 and S4 are secured to their respective verticalstruts 32 or corner struts 34 via fasteners (for example, see FIG. 11)via holes H (for example, see FIG. 5).

FIG. 6A shows a front view and a back view of the corner strut 34 havinga “stack” of floor supports S3 secured thereto. This corner strut 34corresponds to the corner strut 34 shown in FIG. 1 at the left frontcorner of the cage 20A. The different floor layers 22 that are disposedin between the floor supports S3 are shown in phantom. Correspondingly,in FIG. 6B, there is shown a front view and a back view of the verticalstrut 32 having a “stack” of floor supports S2. It should be noted thatthe vertical strut 32/floor supports S2 assembly (shown with thedifferent floor layers 22 (indicated in phantom) disposed in between thefloor supports S2) is positioned at the back, or on the sides, of thepoultry cage 20A as shown by the reference numbers 32 in FIG. 2 since,as mentioned previously, no doors 28 are located on the sides or theback of the cage 20A. As can be appreciated from FIGS. 5-6, two plugs Pare provided which are inserted through the holes (not shown) of a floorlayer 22 and then mated with corresponding holes (not shown) in anotherfloor support positioned below the upper floor support.

FIG. 12 depicts a partially-assembled poultry cage 20A of the presentinvention. As can be seen, floor supports S2 are seen secured torespective vertical struts 32 and to a back corner strut 34 and areawaiting a floor layer 22 to be disposed thereon. The floor supportsS1-S4 have a groove or slot formed in extruded aluminum in which atongue or protrusion T of a polymer component (e.g., sidewall panel 24,internal sidewall panel 24A and back wall panel 26) fits and is able tobe slid in position within the cage assembly 20A. Furthermore, it shouldbe understood that a key durability component of the present cageassembly 20A is that the outside frame member (e.g., floor supportsS1-S4, and vertical struts 32/corner struts 34, including the baseportion 31 (FIG. 4)) are all mechanically fastened (e.g., bolts/screwsand nuts and/or rivets, etc.) together but they are not welded together.Thus, these components, along with the base 31 and the top or cage roof33 (FIGS. 1-2) are mechanically fastened, not welded, to form this outerframe member. Among other things, the fastened components allow forexpansion and contraction.

As shown in FIGS. 7-9B, the side wall panel 24, internal wall panel 24A,the rear wall panel 26, and the door panel 28 are formed (e.g., viainjection molding) of a suitable durable polymer e.g., plastic such aspoly-carbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyesters, polyolefins (e.g.,polypropylene and polyethylene), polystyrene, or the like. The suitabledurable polymer should be both light weight and durable to facilitatethe transport and reuse of the improved poultry cage 20.

FIG. 7 illustrates a side wall panel 24. The side wall panel 24 panel isperforated with a plurality of generally rectangular windows 50 or airvents. The narrow panel between the windows 50 incorporates aperpendicular rib on the back side of the side wall panel 24 to improvethe structural integrity of the side wall panel 24. The rib helpsprevent bowing of the side wall panel 24 under stress. In exemplaryembodiments, the side wall panel 24 may be molded of a high impactpolymer such as polypropylene, polycarbonate, ABS, or the like.Similarly to the side wall panels 24, on the inside of the cages,interior wall panels 24A define the containment area for inner portionsof the poultry cage 20A.

An exemplary side wall panel 24 contains a tongue or protrusion Tdisposed on the edges of the side wall panel 24. The tongue T isdesigned to match or fit with the groove profile of the aluminumcomponents (e.g., floor supports S1-S4), including vertical struts32/corner struts 34 and floor panel 12. In addition, pegs TS located onthe bottom edge of the side wall panel 24 are received in correspondinggrooves GS (see FIGS. 1-2) in the floor layer 22.

FIG. 8 also illustrates the rear wall panel 26, which is similar inconfiguration to the side wall panel 24. The rear wall panel 26 includesa similar window 50 configuration, and protrusions as the side wallpanel 24, as shown in FIG. 7. Accordingly, the window configurationsallow proper airflow to prevent possible death during haulingactivities. These windows also allow for easy application of a tarpduring the winter season. The rear wall panel 26 may be molded of a highimpact polymer such as polypropylene, polycarbonate, ABS, or the like.

The rear wall panel 26 has flat planer edges on the verticalextremities, which provide a tongue T for the groove receiver of thevertical aluminum frame members (e.g., floor supports S1-S4, andvertical struts 32/corner struts 34). The rear wall panel 26 (and otherwall panel components) when assembled to the floor panel 12 and framemembers (e.g., floor supports S1-S4, and vertical struts 32/cornerstruts 34) are secured into place with mechanical fasteners, such astaples, screws, rivets, or adhesive, and/or plugs. In addition, pegs TBlocated on the bottom edge of the back wall panel 26 are received incorresponding grooves GB (see FIGS. 1-2) in the floor layer 22.

It should be further understood that longitudinal and traversereinforcing ribs of two depths may be used in the floor panel 22. Theshallow ribs provide uniform strength and the deeper ribs provideperimeter strength and interlock compartments to the pallet structure.The poultry cages 20A are interlocked to each other in a stack byinterlocking the deep floor ribs inside the adjacent poultry cages 20A.

FIG. 9B illustrates the door 28, which includes a magneticallyattractive plate (also referred to as “strikeplate”) 38 that is disposedon the upper extremities of the door 28. The door 28 also includes ametal hinge 40, such as, for example and not limitation, a piano hinge,that is disposed on the lower longitudinal plane of the door 28 and isalso affixed to the floor panel 22 by mechanical fasteners. The hinge 40is mounted to the door 28 and the floor panel 28 in a manner that thehinge knuckle is on the underside to prevent obstructing the removal ofpoultry when the cage assembly 20A is tilted. The mechanical fastenersused to secure the hinge 40 are designed to break-a-way under stress toprevent damage to the door 28 or the floor panel 22. The door 28includes a series of longitudinal ribs at the top extremity thatincreases the structural integrity of the door 28 and reduces bowing ofthe door 28 under stress. The upper corners of the door includemagnetically attractive plates 38 that are designed to align with themagnets M when the door 28 is in a closed position. The attractive forcebetween the magnetically attractive plate 38 and the magnets M isdesigned to be overcome by the weight of a plurality of birds pressingagainst the door 28 when the cage 20A is in a tilted position (e.g.,during dumping). Therefore, doors 28 are injection molded from highdensity polyethylene plastic with metal striker plates for the magnetsto catch. Furthermore, the doors 28 are hinged by a bulb or tongueinside an extruded aluminum slot bolted to the floor 22 allowing foreasy replacement.

For the polymer doors 28, they may be rotationally mounted to thealuminum cage frame with steel pins extending from a tubular profileincorporated in the door panel 28. The pins are designed to extendbeyond the door a sufficient amount to protrude into the slightly largerholes in the vertical frame support (e.g., vertical struts 32 and cornerstruts 34) located on each horizontal extremity of the door 28. For thepolymer door 28, the bottom of the door 28 has downward tabs with ahollow core (see FIG. 9A) through which the steel pin or bayonet is usedto attach the door 28 with the aluminum floor 22 for the containmentarea, where the floor has upwards tabs with a hollow core through whichthe pin is also fastened (see FIG. 9B).

In use, a lot of doors are torn off during normal wear & tear of poultrycages. For conventional cages, the doors are reasonably expensive toreplace, since conventional doors are made out of aluminum. Therefore,an advantage of the door assembly 28 of embodiments of the presentdisclosure is that, since polymer doors are generally less expensive tomanufacture, the doors 28 are less expensive to replace.

It should be understood that it is within the broadest scope of thepresent invention that the positioning of the magnets M and thestrikeplates 38 can be reversed, namely, the magnets M could be locatedon the doors and the strikeplates 38 could be located on the arms A ofthe floor supports. It should also be understood that the magneticcoupling of the compartment door closure is by way of example only.There are many other means for maintaining the doors in a closedcondition during transport, such as spring mechanisms, and that it iswithin the broadest scope of the present invention to include such otherclosure mechanisms.

Thus, the aluminum floor panels 22, the polymer side wall panels 24 andinternal wall panels 24A, the polymer rear wall panels 26, and thealuminum frame components are affixed to one another using a tongue andgroove connection system. Furthermore, as mentioned previously,containment panels are made of injected molded plastic to reduce weightand are held in place by a locking bulb mechanism on each end of thepanel and a molded locking bayonet on the bottom. For example, outeredges of the polymer components may include tongues (e.g., a roundedarea or bulb) which mate with grooves or a slot of the floor spacer S1,S2, S3 or S4 of the frame or other support members formed as extrudedaluminum and allow for the polymer components to be positioned securely.

As mentioned earlier with respect to FIG. 4, the aluminum and polymerconstructed cage 20A of the present disclosure utilizes two forkliftsleeves 29 to form a rectangular base 31 for the cage 20A. For example,cages 20A may be built on heavy gage aluminum fork tubes to facilitatethe cage being moved with a forklift. As mentioned previously, the outerframe is constructed of vertical struts 32 and corner struts 34 that maycomprise square tubular posts, which are bolted to each side of the base31 to segment the frame into compartment stacks. The floor supports arethen aligned with the vertical struts 32 or corner struts 34 to providesupport for the compartment floors. A single sheet of aluminum 22 ispositioned on the floor supports at a common elevation, which providesflooring for the compartments on each level. The cage roof 33 (FIGS.1-2) is constructed from a single panel of galvanized sheet metal boltedor fastened to the square tubing frame located around the perimeter ofthe top of the compartments. In exemplary embodiments, the mechanicalfastener or bolt may be a metal rivet, a stainless steel bolt, a staple,or the like.

It is advantageously noted that the use of such metal fasteners (asopposed to welding) maintains the strength or integrity of the aluminumframe. Additionally, the aluminum support structures are also formed ofextruded aluminum which also does not require welding. Therefore, anexemplary cage 20A is made structurally strong by using extrudedaluminum pieces bolted together. Accordingly, by use of fasteners,individual pieces can be individually replaced and repair, whereas awelded cage may have to be discarded as a whole. For example, thepoultry cage 20A can be unbolted or unfastened to access and replace adamaged part and then reassembled. Further, the lightweight nature ofaluminum and polymer materials used in construction of the poultry cage20A substantially reduces the weight and cost of the cage in comparisonto conventional methods.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 16, the assembled improved poultry cages 20Amay be stacked on top of each other to a desired height (e.g., twopoultry cages 20A stacked on top of each other). The stack of improvedpoultry cages 20A can be positioned to fill the reduced weight trailer20B to the desired number of layers.

Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 13-14, a binding system used to arrestmovement of the poultry cages 20A is illustrated. The outer face of thefork sleeve channel incorporates a circular or oral orifice 74 that maybe located in the channel's mid-point (FIG. 13) or alternatively, theorifice 74 may be located on a center-vertical-side support member orpost (FIG. 1), which receives a metal rod binder hook 76 which isattached to a cloth belt 78 with a metal bracket fastened to the hook's“D” handle. The device is used to secure the cage stack to the transporttrailer with a belt winch mounted to the underside of the transporttrailer's outer longitudinal frame. The end stack of cages located onthe rear extremity of the transport trailer is secured with two binderdevices and belt winches 82 spaced to provide securing force at opposingangles to each other.

Removing the cages from the trailer deck requires relieving the tensionon the trailer mounted belt winch 82 a sufficient amount to un-hook themetal rod hook 76 from the upper cage stretcher orifice. As no spring isincorporated, reliving the belt tension is safe to the operator and thetension in a truck roll-over is secured by the tinsel strength of thebelt and winch mounting rather than the compressive strength of anincorporated spring as is the case in the conventional binding device.

Reduced Weight Trailer 20B

To achieve the required weight reduction to make an integrated transportsystem viable, a significant amount of weight must be eliminated in theconventional light-weight aluminum trailer, which maximizes cubic feetavailability. Accordingly, disclosed herein is a trailer structure thataccomplishes this goal. To accomplish the economic goals of thetransport system the trailer must accommodate twenty-four cages lightweight cages with a foot print four feet by eight feet and not exceedthe legal length mandated by the states where the transport system isused. In particular, in order to optimize the trailer construction suchthat the payload (i.e., live bird pounds) is maximized while trailerweight is minimized, the trailer structure maximizes cubic feetavailable by, among other things, riding low as safely as possible,while reducing weight wherever possible (e.g., using aluminum, using apartial floor, etc.,) yet supporting the cages 10 in a secure manner(e.g., via the use of guides on the trailer edges that interlock withthe edges of the cages 10).

Turning now to FIGS. 15-16H, a frame structure 84A/84B of a light-weighttrailer 20B in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the disclosureis illustrated. The weight reduction of the trailer is accomplished byconstructing a frame structure 84A/84B that is configured expressly forsupporting the pallets of the cage stacks and removing the unnecessaryremaining deck structure. The frame structure 84A/84B is designed tosupport an evenly loaded trailer rather than a conventional trailerdesigned for worst case support of a large maximum weight located in acentral location of the trailer deck. In one embodiment, as shown inFIG. 15, the back wheels (and axles) of the trailer may be spaced apartto meet applicable bridge laws and regulations.

In particular, as shown most clearly in FIGS. 15A-15D, the trailer 20Bforms a drop deck configuration comprising an upper deck 84A and a lowerdeck 84B. The lower deck 84B which comprises the majority of trailer 86is formed of two aluminum main beams 100A/100B (FIG. 15D) that areoriented longitudinally along the axis 101 of the trailer. The lowerdeck 84B is secured to the aluminum main beams 100A/100B. To reduceweight without compromising strength, the floor portions 88A and 88B ofthe upper deck 84A and the lower deck 84B, respectively, comprise anarrow centralized region. Since the edges of the cages 20A rest uponthe guides 106A/106B on the sides of the trailer bed structure, it wasdetermined that the flooring outward from a middle flatbed region to thesides of the trailer 86 could be removed and that by omitting suchflooring, the weight of the trailer 86 could be reduced. As a result,the narrowed floor portions 88A/88B allow for trailer weight reductionwhile at the same time providing sufficient resistance to racking ortwisting of the trailer 86 during use. The floor portions 88A/88B maycomprise a plurality of extruded aluminum members that are boltedtogether along the axis 101 of the trailer bed. Another advantage of theminimized flooring is that it permits chicken litter, that is pulledonto the trailer 20B while loading, to escape and not build up on thefloor of the trailer 20B which would occur it were a complete floor.

A suspension assembly or bogie 102 mounts the tail end of the trailer20B to the back wheel assembly while landing gear 104A/104B supports thefront end of the trailer 20B when it is not coupled to the tractor'sfifth wheel. The suspension assembly 102 may comprise “sliders” (notshown) that permit the separation between axles in the suspensionassembly to be adjustable in order to meet the bridge laws of variousjurisdictions in the U.S.

As with the use of aluminum in the cages 20A, use of aluminum for thetrailer 20B provides for a stable yet light-weight structure. Also, thealuminum material is able to better withstand the deteriorating effectsof fecal matter from the poultry.

Proper loading of the poultry cages 20A on the light-weight trailer 20Bprevents cage stacks being inadequately supported and/or exceeding thelegal length of the trailer 20B. In one embodiment, the trailer isequipped with transverse and longitudinal deck beams and longitudinalcenter floor strip 88 for added support above the beams for poultry cageloads.

In exemplary embodiments, the poultry cage transportation assemblyincluding the stack of improved poultry cages 20A provides a reducedpoultry cage weight which permits greater payload and fuel economy(thereby also reducing carbon emissions) for transportation of poultry.Furthermore, the improved poultry cages 20A provide additional savingsby breaking down for transport when not used to transport live poultry.

Consider that a conventional poultry cage assembly generally weighsbetween 900-950 lbs. If a typical trailer is able to haul 22 of thesecages; a trailer typically weighs between 13,000-14,000 lbs.; and thetractor also typically weighs 14,000 lbs., then, the empty weight of atruck and trailer loaded with 22 cages is(22×900)+(14,000)+(14,000)=47,800 lbs.

Assuming the maximum load allowed for the truck/trailer is 80,000 lbs.,the weight of the maximum load of poultry will be 32,200 lbs., for theconventional poultry cage assembly and trailer setup.

In contrast, the improved poultry cage assembly of the present inventionmay comprise a four-shelf light-weight cage and a five-shelflight-weight cage, each of them weighing 411 lbs. and 480 lbs.,respectively. In addition, the improved light-weight trailer of thepresent invention weighs empty at 8260 lbs. Since the upper deck 84Aaccommodates four of the four-shelf cages 20A and the lower deck 84Baccommodates twenty of the five-shelf cages 20A, then the empty weightof a truck, 24 light-weight cages and the light-weight trailer is([4×411]+[20×480])+14,000+8260=33,504 lbs.

Again, assuming the maximum load allowed for the truck/trailer is 80,000lbs., the weight of the maximum load of poultry will be 46,496 lbs.(i.e., 80,000 lbs.−33,504 lbs.), for the improved poultry cage assemblyand trailer combination of the present invention, which is a substantialimprovement, while also carrying an additional two poultry cages (24[present invention]−22 [conventional poultry hauling trailer]=2). Suchimprovements to a poultry cage assembly and trailer design, inaccordance with the present disclosure, may reduce the weight ofconventional hauling cages by 50% allowing for a larger payload pertrailer (without exceeding legal weight limits), thus reducing thenumber of loads required. Further, such improvements may allow forincreased payloads, thus reducing the amount of required trips, therebysaving fuel and man hours.

Referring next to FIG. 16-16H, an embodiment of the improved poultrycage assembly and trailer setup is shown with 24 cages loaded. It isnoted that the cage assemblies on the drop deck of the trailer containfive shelves or containment levels per cage 20A, whereas the cageassemblies 20A′ on the up deck 84A of the trailer contain four shelvesor containment levels per cage. In this way, a maximum height may bemaintained across the load of the trailer 20B. Thus, it should beunderstood that cage assemblies 20A′ are formed in the same way as cageassemblies 20A but only four shelves, rather than five shelves, arepresent. As a result, all of the features of cage 20A are present incage 20A′ except that the cage 20A′ only comprises four shelves.

In particular, FIGS. 16A-16D show different views of one stack of twocages 20A placed on the trailer 20B. To locate each cage 20A that isplaced on the trailer guide rails 106A/106B, a plurality of cagealignment stops 107 are evenly positioned along each guide rail106A/106B, as can be seen clearly in FIGS. 16A-16C. Each cage alignmentstop 107 comprises a male member 107A (see FIG. 16E). When a cage 20A isplaced upon the trailer 20B (see FIG. 16F), the cage 20A is positionedsuch that a corresponding female member 107B receives the male member107A of the cage alignment stop 107, as shown most clearly in FIG. 16F.It should be noted that each cage 20A comprises the female member 107Bon its two opposite short sides under its bottom edge, between theforklift sleeves, as shown in FIG. 16G. In addition, each cage 20A alsocomprises the male member 107A on its two opposite short sides on itstop surface. As a result of these male/female members 107A/107B, cages20A can be stacked and automatically aligned to form an aligned columnof cages with proper spacing between the stacks.

With the aligned stacked cages placed on the trailer 20B, a ratchetmechanism 202 (FIG. 17) is used to releasably secure the cage stacks tothe trailer 20B. This ratchet mechanism 202 is rated for predeterminedpounds and is particularly adapted for this specific use. The ratchetmechanism 202 is the preferred cage/trailer releasable couplingmechanism when compared to the alternative and less preferred winchsystem (discussed previously with regard to FIGS. 12-13). In thispreferred configuration, a strap mounting plate 200 is coupled to theside of the trailer at each cage alignment stop 107. A short length(e.g., approximately six inches) of strap is looped through the mountingplate 200 and secured (e.g., sewn) back on itself so that it ispermanently attached to the trailer 86 and to the ratchet mechanism 202.A hook 204 is inserted into the slotted holes on the side of the cage10, as discussed previously, and ratcheted down, thereby holding thecages 10 to the trailer 86.

During transit, the last stack of two cages on the rear extremity of thelight-weight trailer may pose a danger to vehicles and persons followingthe trailer during transit should the primary binding system fail.Safety frames 92A/92B shown in FIG. 14 are designed to provide afail-safe mechanism to prevent the cages 10 from sliding off the back ofthe trailer 20B and to ensure that the cages 20A remain secured to thelight-weight trailer 20B. The safety frames 92A/92B are the width of theframe structure 84 and extends sufficiently high to prevent the top cagein the stack from falling, where the safety frames 92A/92B are retainedin the perpendicular position. Furthermore, safety frame 92A is providedin the front of the trailer to prevent poultry cages 20A from impactingthe trailer cab. In addition, this safety frame 92A at the front of thetrailer 86 also serves to form a protective barrier (e.g., via the useof a tarp thereon, etc.) to be used in extreme cold weather to protectthe chickens from cold air during transportation. Furthermore, thesafety frame 92B located at the end of the trailer 86 permits theincorporation of additional visual indicators that would not normally beavailable at the back end of a drop deck trailer (see FIG. 17H). Thisincreases safety as it provides for better trailer visibility.

In addition to reduced weight, embodiments of the improved poultry cage20A and its structure are durable enough to with stand forklift abuseand the weight of the chickens during the transportation from farm toprocessing plant. For example, the use of bolts and metal fastenersprovide sufficient flexibility and durability to withstand the rigorsand compensate for contractions & expansions or twists & turns to thepoultry cage assembly during routine transit and use (e.g., hauling anddumping). Therefore, the improved poultry cage 20A can replace the steelcages currently used in the poultry industry, and in turn, provide acage that reduces weight and enhances the ability to haul more chickensper load. Further, embodiments of the poultry cage 20A of the presentdisclosure fit and comply with present dumping systems used by thebroiler industry and are conducive to standard forklift procedures,transit loading and unloading procedures, and processing plant dumpingand expulsion procedures.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merelypossible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clearunderstanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations andmodifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of thepresent disclosure without departing substantially from the spirit andprinciples of the disclosure.

Accordingly, dimensional features of the improved poultry cage 20A canbe modified to fit current needs. As an example, one variety of thepoultry cage 20A contains an approximate 11-inch opening within eachcontainment area. For this, the cage 20A may be equipped to have 5shelves. In addition, smaller chickens may need to be housed in a cagethat does not require an 11-inch opening. Instead, an approximate 9-inchopening is used in an alternative variety of the improved poultry cage20A. Due to the reduced opening size, the cage 20A may be extended to a6-shelf height, as an example.

All such modifications and variations are intended to be included hereinwithin the scope of this disclosure.

While the invention has been described in detail and with reference tospecific examples thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the artthat various changes and modifications can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A trailer for conveying live poultry in cages andoptimized to maximize payload while minimizing trailer weight, saidtrailer comprising: a plurality of aluminum main beams arrangedlongitudinally along the length of the trailer; a pair of aluminum guiderails that run the length of the trailer, forming a respective side ofsaid trailer, and coupled together via a plurality of aluminum crossmembers arranged transversely for connecting said guide rails togetherto form a frame structure that is secured to said plurality of mainbeams, said guide rails supporting at least one cage thereon and adaptedto engage a portion of the cage therein; a suspension assembly locatedat a rear portion of said trailer for supporting said frame structureand said plurality of aluminum main beams upon a plurality of wheel axleassemblies; and a floor secured only to a middle region of said framestructure along the length of the trailer.
 2. The trailer of claim 1wherein said frame structure comprises a first portion and a secondportion, said first portion being at a lower elevation above the groundthan said second portion, said second portion being adapted toreleasably couple to a tractor's fifth wheel.
 3. The trailer of claim 2wherein said lower elevation maximizes the height of cages that can beplaced on said trailer without exceeding a height limitation for saidtrailer.
 4. The trailer of claim 1 wherein each of said guide railscomprises a plurality of cage guide stops and wherein each of said cagescomprises a corresponding guide stop member on opposite sides of saidcage along a bottom edge of said cage to engage a respective cage guidestop when said cage is positioned on said trailer.
 5. The trailer ofclaim 4 further comprising a plurality of ratchet mechanisms forreleasably securing a stack of cages on said trailer.
 6. The trailer ofclaim 5 wherein said plurality of ratchet mechanisms corresponds to saidplurality of cage guide stops.
 7. The trailer of claim 1 furthercomprising a first security frame having a width that corresponds to awidth of said frame structure and that is secured to a tail end of saidframe structure, said first security frame being secured in aperpendicular position with respect to said frame structure forpreventing cages from falling off said trailer at said tail end.
 8. Thetrailer of claim 7 further comprising a second security frame having awidth that corresponds to said width of said frame structure and that issecured to a forward end of said trailer, said second security framebeing secured in a perpendicular position with respect to said framestructure for preventing cages from falling off said trailer at saidforward end.
 9. The trailer of claim 8 wherein said second securityframe prevents said cages from impacting a cab that couples to thetrailer, said second security forming a protective barrier forprotecting the poultry from cold air during transportation.
 10. Thetrailer of claim 7 wherein said first security frame provides additionalsurface area for supporting additional visual indicators thereon. 11.The trailer of claim 1 wherein said suspension assembly furthercomprises a slider mechanism that permits a separation distance betweena pair of suspension wheel assemblies to be adjusted.
 12. A method forconveying live poultry in cages via a trailer which is optimized tomaximize payload while minimizing trailer weight, said methodcomprising: providing a plurality of aluminum main beams arrangedlongitudinally along the length of the trailer; providing a pair ofaluminum guide rails that run the length of the trailer to form arespective side of said trailer; coupling said aluminum guide railstogether using a plurality of aluminum cross members arrangedtransversely for connecting said guide rails together to form a framestructure that is secured to said plurality of main beams; positioning aplurality of cage guide stops along the length of each of said guiderails for engaging portions of the cages; providing a suspensionassembly located at a rear portion of said trailer for supporting saidframe structure and said plurality of aluminum main beams upon aplurality of wheel axle assemblies; including a floor on said traileronly over a middle region of said frame structure along the length ofthe trailer; and positioning at least one cage on said guide rails sothat portions of said at least one cage engage respective ones of saidcage guide stops.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step ofproviding a pair of aluminum guide rails comprises forming said framestructure to comprise a first portion and a second portion, said firstportion being at a lower elevation above the ground than said secondportion, said second portion being adapted to releasable couple to atractor's fifth wheel.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein said step ofproviding a first portion at a lower elevation maximizes the height ofcages that can be placed on said trailer without exceeding a heightlimitation for said trailer.
 15. The method of claim 12 wherein step ofpositioning a plurality of cage guide stops further comprisespositioning a corresponding guide stop member on opposite sides of saidcage along a bottom edge of said cage to engage a respective cage guidestop when said cage is positioned on said trailer.
 16. The method ofclaim 15 further comprising activating a plurality of ratchet mechanismsfor releasably securing a stack of cages onto said trailer.
 17. Themethod of claim 16 wherein said plurality of ratchet mechanismscorresponds to said plurality of cage guide stops.
 18. The method ofclaim 12 further comprising the step of securing a first security frame,having a width that corresponds to a width of said frame structure, to atail end of said frame structure in a perpendicular position withrespect to said frame structure for preventing cages from falling offsaid trailer at said tail end.
 19. The method of claim 18 furthercomprising the step of securing a second security frame, also having awidth that corresponds to said width of said frame structure, to aforward end of said trailer in a perpendicular position with respect tosaid frame structure for preventing cages from falling off said trailerat said forward end.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein said step ofsecuring a second security frame forms a protective barrier forprotecting the poultry from cold air during transportation.
 21. Themethod of claim 18 wherein said step of securing a first security frameprovides additional surface area for supporting additional visualindicators thereon.
 22. The method of claim 13 wherein said step ofproviding a suspension assembly further comprises making said suspensionassembly adjustable using a slider mechanism that permits a separationdistance between a pair of suspension wheel assemblies to be adjusted.